Psyche
by pgirl
Summary: Train has an unlucky encounter with a tao blade-wielding ex-assasin. Chronos is prepared to go to war with an organisation they know barely nothing about, and Train is somehow tangled up in all of it. In all the ensued chaos, he starts hearing voices...and who is the mysterious raven-haired girl that seems to have all the answers?
1. Help! Ex-assassin with a knife!

**I wanted to post this story because I've left it festering in my PC for far too long!**

**If you want to know how this story goes down then, READ THE SUMMARY. **

**It doesn't give you much but yeah.**

"Have you found our target?" A crackly voice sounded in the micro-piece next to Train's ear.

"Yes, Sven." He replied sarcastically. "In fact, I'm in the police station right now."

He couldn't help it, he was hungry and tired. They had spent nearly the whole day tailing the target and now his usually carefree personality was frayed at the edges.

There was an annoyed grunt on the other end.

"No need to get snarky." Sven muttered

Train bit back a another spiteful remark as just then his eyes caught an unnatural movement twisting through the edge of the bustling crowd of bodies with inhuman speed and nimbleness.

His cat senses tingled expectantly.

"Hold that thought…" He said, and without waiting for Sven to reply, he disconnected the line and followed the shadow with equally inhuman agility.

The shadow turned around and stopped in a dimly lit corner.

Train creeped after it.

The little light provided by a nearby lantern revealed the silhouette to be none other than their target; Rhoyte Villfir, a former notorious assasin-for-hire who turned rogue a few weeks back.

Train didn't bother with his usual dramatics, he stomach hadn't seen solid food for days now and he wanted nothing other than to be on his comfy bed back at the hideout with a refreshing glass of milk, _now_.

"Weelll." He started, resting his hand on the holster of his gun. "That was quite a merry little dance you led us on. But unfortunately this is the end of the road for you, so are you going to come with me peacefully or I will have to use force." His bored tone suggested he had recited this line to other criminals many times before.

Rhoyte, with his dark locks of hair and dark red eyes full of hate to the world, would definitely strike fear into the hearts of most sweepers but Train barely flinched as he moved to look at him.

Train gave an exasperated sigh. "Guess I have to use force, huh."

"I'm not in a good mood today sweeper. I suggest you turn around and run before I do something you will _sorely _regret." Rhoyte responded coldly.

"Umm. Sorry, no can do, I have to collect your bounty or my partner's gonna have a seizure."

Rhoyte lifted an eyebrow in mild disbelief.

"Collect _my_ bounty?"

He gave a dark laugh.

"Well, do as you will, I'd hate for you to leave this world feeling like you didn't try." He scoffed, before his eyes darkened. "Get ready to die."

Train upholstered his gun. "I wouldn't be so sure."

Suddenly, Rhoyte disappeared and reappeared next to Train, his fingers curved, ready to gouge Train's eyes out.

"You will rue the day you decided to challenge me, sweeper!" His manic laughter was abruptly cut off by the side of Hades swinging into his face.

The impact knocked him of his feet and into a wall a few feet away.

He spat out pieces of gravel and blood that had mixed in his mouth before giving a small gasp.

He touched the side of his face in astonishment. "You managed to hit me? But..but.. that's impossible, I…"

"Yeah, yeah." Train interrupted, not caring in the slightest. "That's what they all say."

Rhoyte's red eyes narrowed to slits. "It seems you're more refined than I first thought." He grudgingly admitted and a dagger appeared in his hands. " I'll have to change my tactics."

Train was unimpressed. "So you're gonna take me on, with a dagger?"

A sinister smile appeared on Rhoyte's pallid features, all masks of sanity were promptly discarded. "Looks can be deceiving Mr sweeper." He responded before rushing at Train again.

This time, he was much more faster than before and Train barely blocked a sidecut by him by turning Hades to his side.

For a while it was like that,cut, parry, cut, parry, until Rhoytes managed to land a hit on Train's unprotected arm.

H ehissed in pain as skin and material tore by the blade of the cursed dagger.

He turned around and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the Assassin's stomach sending him several metres away.

"Okay. That hurt." Train winced as he touched the scar on his arm, the blade must have been serrated.

His golden eyes widened as his wound started to shimmer and disappear until there was no trace of it left.

An empty chuckle made him turn around quickly.

"You finally get it don't you?" Rhoyte asked in a slightly mocking tone. "That was no ordinary blade, this knife was made by master taoists of such that has never been seen in this time."

Train's mouth hung open in surprise.

"You use…_Tao_?" Disbelief and anger in his voice.

"Yes." Was the assassin's reply. " I don't know much about it, but I was told this dagger had the ability to cut people from the _inside _so right now, all wounds I inflict on you would appear _internally_."

Just then, Train felt a searing pain in his arm.

He bit his lip to stop himself from crying out, the pain vaguely resembled the sensation of being stabbed several times with a smoking hot poker.

Rhoyte smiled gleefully. "You can feel it, can't you? The pain? It hurts doesn't it?"

Train stopped himself from replying to his taunts.

He continued on anyway. "I've heard that many of my victims had died of madness, I don't know how that happened and frankly I don't care."He lifted his dagger once more so it reflected in the moonlight.

"So sweeper, still think you can take my bounty?" His words laced with sarcasm.

Train tried to gather his thoughts.

He was supposed to be going after a rogue assasin-for-hire but instead came across a tao user, though it seemed that this person didn't know a whole lot about the art.

_Just my luck_. He thought bitterly.

He couldn't alert Sven because he left his micropiece in his bag nearby, and he doubted he could outrun the assassin with the wound in his arm and the assassin's newfound speed.

He doubled over as he had the sudden impression of being _ripped_ apart.

He grasped his head with his uninjured hand as his vision exploded into an assemble of light and colour.

Rhoyte's annoying voice was suddenly thrusted in the background suddenly and Train had the unexpected sensation of weightlessness.

He felt as if someone was stretching and tearing him apart. Slowly he was plunged into a gloominess and as that happened he felt himself feeling a mixture of emotions.

_**Kill him.**_

It was a single command from a voice that was not his own.

Whoever knew two words could affect him so much.

Because as he looked at Rhoyte he felt a sudden _hate_ for the man.

It would have been so easy to just kill him, save everybody the trouble.

Nobody would miss an assassin.

_**And a notorious one at that**_. The voice sounded in his head.

Train could feel himself diving deeper into a kind of dark hatred and he made no move to stop it, he was just too tired and frustrated.

The oppressive darkness clouded his vision and he felt as if he was pulled out of his body and he briefly glimpsed and empty darkness surrounding him, covering him….

But as suddenly as he was brought out of reality he was pushed back.

He felt disoriented by the sudden change of scenery when pathetic moans snapped him from his mild reverie.

His first view was of the sight of Rhoyte choking while trying to release a hand which seemed to have closed around his throat while trapping him against a wall.

Rhoyte gasped in pure agony.

"Argh! Let me go!" He managed to choke out. His face was turning an interesting shade of blue and tears ran from his eyes.

Train stepped away from him quickly , suddenly realising that it was his hand around the assassin's throat.

Rhoyte dropped to the ground, and started to cough splatters of blood that stained the dirt floor a dark crimson.

Train felt cold.

He knew that if he hadn't stopped himself, he would have most certainly had a murder on his hands.

It was not that he valued this man's life, far from it actually.

But he made a promise to Saya, not to mention Eve and Sven too, to not kill any more.

Train considered himself a man of his word and to see a promise he made to his deceased best friend about to be broken, and so easily too, left him shaken badly.

But what scared him most was that he had no memory of it_._

That is, of attempting to kill the assassin.

He regarded himself also, as someone with a strong reign of their emotions.

It was one of the many qualities he had to learn when working under Chronos as an eraser.

In fact, his last cognizant memories were of him kneeling down in pain as he clutched the results of Rhoyte's deadly tao-manufactured blade.

A slight tingling on his right arm made him remember the healed wound on his arm.

He sighed before nudging Rhoyte who had collapsed on the floor near his feet.

The assassin didn't move.

Train's breath stilled for a moment but on closer inspection he found out the man was merely unconscious.

With another sigh, he tossed the man over his shoulder, as an afterthought, he took the blade which was left on the ground a few metres away from him, and walked back to Sven with a troubled state of mind.

**All reviews are welcome! Even Flames! But i warn you, I'll delete as many as I can. (Flames of course) Suspicious glare.**


	2. Chapter 2!

**Hey Y'll.**

**Just le chapitre autre to quench your thirst for Fanfiction. Yeah!**

**Okayyyy. So you know the drill. I write a chapter, you review. Got it? Death Glare on maximum power.**

**Great *Smile* *Smile***

When Train got back with Rhoyte 3 weeks ago, he filled Sven in on the man's unexpected relation to Tao and his possession of the knife.

Sven , then, informed the sweeper organisation of the man's extraordinary weapon.

Upon some debate, the IBI were given custody over the dangerous weapon.

Something told Sven that Train wasn't giving him all the facts, and truth be told he did feel worry for that man.

Sven lit a cigarette.

He sat on a couch facing the window that held a decent view of the street below.

The incident with the rogue assassin-for-hire was just past a week ago and Sven could feel the change in his partner's personality.

He seemed moody and distant. Sure, Train had his episodes, but…this seemed different.

There was this dark aura surrounding him all the time and Sven could wager his life that this was somehow connected to the encounter with Mr Vilfir.

There was a slight scuffling behind him and Sven turned around to see Eve standing hesitatingly by the doorway.

Sven gave a sigh and beckoned her forward.

Eve obeyed and sat on the chair opposite Sven.

There was a moment of companionable silence before Eve broke it.

"Sven, I'm…I'm…worried about Train."She confessed.

Sven paused to take the cigarette out of his mouth.

"Yeah, so am I." he admitted.

Eve twisted a golden lock absent-mindedly. "It's just that…he feels so distant nowadays."

She risked a glance at Sven questionably.

Sven rubbed his forehead tiredly. "C'mon Eve, this is Train. Tomorrow, he'll be his hyper-active self again, begging for free food."

Eve gave a small smile, but her face showed she was unconvinced, she turned her head to the window.

Sven glanced at Eve, she was maturing so fast for her age it was maddening. Soon, it'd be high school then University, then…whatever. Sven had no doubt Eve could be anything she wanted to be if she put her mind to it.

He was jolted out of his musings by a soft hand on his.

Eve gave him reassuring smile before turning her gaze out the window again.

He sweatdropped.

_She's getting more perceptive too_. He thought dryly before settling himself on the couch.

With the peaceful camaraderie and the twinkling lights of the streetlights giving the room a serene hue, Sven almost convinced himself that everything was going to be alright.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Rinslet slammed the phone down in irritation. _Drats!_

One of her contacts was refusing to give her the information she needed for her new heist.

She rubbed her sore temple and tucked a stray lock of lilac-coloured hair behind a delicate ear while

leaning back on her plush wheelie chair and putting her two recently manicured feet on the study table in front of her.

She tried phoning all her contacts within the area but they all stuck with the same answer.

With the rising crime rates they were all to scared to venture from their comfort circles.

Which was _all_ she needed.

A hoarse cry in the kitchen reminded her of her other problem.

She gritted her teeth.

"For Pete sakes Jenos! All I wanted was an omelette!"

"Never!" A masculine voice responded.

"Only the best for _my_ Rinslet!" There was a metallic crash and colourful curses after his heartfelt declaration.

_Okay.._

Rinslet placed two fingers on her forehead and aimed a long suffering gaze to the heavens.

She'd kill Jenos for using the posessive pronoun 'my' before her name again…after she billed him for the damage in her kitchen which she was positive he will or had incurred.

She stood up from her seat reluctantly and made her way to the kitchen.

It was a… sorry sight to say the least.

Jenos had wrapped a tea towel around his head and was currently sweating over a pan of darkened charcoal.

When he finally noticed her he gave a grin.

"What is _that_?" She asked in mild horror as she pointed to the black concoction in the bottom of the pan.

"It's a souffle. To commemorate our one week anniversary."

Rinslet sweatdropped before shaking her head.

"Jenos…You can't _have_ an anniversary if you don't _hav_e a relationship."

He shot her a cheeky grin.

"That's what you think."

She rolled her eyes. She wouldn't bother herself trying to prove his insanity.

"Anywayyy…don't you kind of have a job to getting on with?"

He lifted two brown eyebrows.

"That desperate to get rid of me, eh?"

"Yes." She replied without hesitation.

He put a hand over his heart. "Wow. Harsh."

Suddenly his mobile started to ring in his pocket.

He lifted a finger in Rinslet's direction. "Wait, just let me get this."

"I'm not stopping you." She responded dryly.

He pressed the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

There was a beat of silence.

Whatever the person said made him frown, and soon his eyes darkened and his usual blithe attitude dissipated.

"Right now?" He asked.

Another beat of silence.

He sighed, before flipping his phone shut.

Rinslet cocked her head sideways curiously. "Who was it?"

Jenos smiled in her direction.

"Sephi needs me to come to HQ right now."

Rinslet felt a tad of worry. "It..it isn't anything serious is it?"

"Nope!" Jenos grinned. "I bet it'll all just blow over."

Rinslet nodded, satisfied with his answer.

He gave her a covetous look. "I'll be gone for a few days, think you can survive without me?"

Rinslet's mouth turned from a hard line to a snarl. "Who do you think I am?"

Jenos laughed, before putting a hand lightly on her shoulder. "That's the Rinslet I know and love!"

He picked up his coat from the couch and with a 'Bye Rinslet!', disappeared through the door, not making any more noise than a small creak.

Rinslet collapsed on a nearby couch. She really hoped that goofball was going to be okay.

After a while, her phone rang beside her and Rinslet picked it up and raised it to her ear.

"Helloo?"

"Rinslet I…" Train's voice cracked audibly. "Rinslet…can I come over?"

She felt a chill as she heard his voice, normally so vibrant sound drawn and pathetic.

"Sure!" She replied, forcing false enthusiasm. "Come straight away!"


	3. Chapter 3!

**Woohoo! Another chapter! Aren't I awesome!?**

**Pregnant silence...**

**Yeah...**

**(What happened before the phone call to from Train to Rinslet)**

Train drank his glass of milk in the Kitchen room in silence.

Eve and Sven were still asleep upstairs.

His thoughts were in constant turmoil nowadays.

Everyday he just felt so _frustrated_, without knowing the reason why.

He felt so angry with the world and everything in it.

He put up a carefree smile for Eve and Sven, but even he could see that they could see right through it.

He didn't know if this had any link to the Taoist blade but he had a strong suspicion it had.

And more frequently he relived memories and nightmares from his tormented past.

He remembered reliving the memory of his parent's death and the pain and the sorrow seemed so fresh in his mind that he literally collapsed on the floor in anguish.

Of course, when Eve and Sven appeared on the scene, he had to pretend he slipped.

He gave them a chuckle and a grin.

Typical Train.

But Sven looked concerned and Eve just gave him a worried glance. They didn't buy it.

Heavy footsteps on the stairs indicated that Sven had finished his nap.

He took a glass of water, stopping now and then to take surreptitious glances at Train.

After a while, Sven had had enough, he slammed his glass on the table aggressively.

To see his happy-go-lucky partner look so miserable was getting to him more than he realised.

Sven wrenched the glass of milk from Train much to his alarm.

'I've had enough Train! Both me and Eve know there's something going on, so why don't you come out with it?!"

Train eyed him nonchalantly for a while.

"There's nothing going on." Train replied mildly.

"Oh don't give me that bull Train!"

Train didn't bother answering.

"Do you know how worried Eve is about you!? Why don't you stop being so selfish for once and think about those around you!" Sven shouted over the top of anything Train was about to say.

"So this was about the li'il princess right?" Train muttered.

Sven stared at Train in disbelief.

"_Of course_, this is about Eve." He enunciated clearly as if talking to an idiot. "She's not acting the same ever since you decided to wallow in your self-pity! Look! That guy might have affected you but Eve's just a growing girl! She doesn't need..!"

"Sven." Train cut in. "I…I think you should just leave me alone for a while."

Train could start to feel dark anger rising around him, and if Sven stayed longer he knew with a cold certainty he would do something he would later regret.

"No Train! You have to listen for once!" Sven shouted slamming his hand on the table next to Train.

Train tried to stifle the desire to punch him out the window.

Sven didn't know _anything_. He didn't know what he had been through. He didn't _know_ what he had suffered.

Train knew that Sven wouldn't be able to cope if he was thrown in his shoes.

And he had the _guts_…

Suddenly, Train had an impulsive idea, something he probably wouldn't have come up with if he was in his right state of mind.

A knife lay a while between the two of them.

It would have been so easy to grab it and plunge it through the older man's heart.

He knew that Sven was next to nothing without his fancy grasper eye.

It would be so easy.

But in the heart of his hearts he knew he couldn't, it was easy… but it was wrong.

_**No it isn't**__. _An audible voice sounded in his head.

He was surprised for a moment.

_**Sven doesn't appreciate you... You'd be better of without him.**_

Train found himself overcoming his initial shock and agreeing with the mysterious voice.

He couldn't count how many times he had saved Sven's butt from sticky situations and without a proper thank you too.

_**And what about the nanomachine transformation? **_

There was an audible laugh in his mind that was so devoid of any good emotions it made Train shiver.

_**You took the bullet for him and see how he repays you.**_

_**What are you waiting for? The knife's right there... He deserves it you know**__._

Train felt his body responding to the voice much like last time and he made no move to stop it.

He picked up the knife.

Sven stopped mid-rant as he locked eyes with his partner.

Train's eyes were a cold yellow, almost feral and they were directed at him.

Something Sven had prayed he would never see again.

"Train?"

Train stood up with the knife at his hand and approached Sven menacingly.

_**He deserves it Train.**_

"Train?"

Eve was in the kitchen, frowning at Train in confusion.

"Train, why do you have a knife?"

Suddenly Train remembered who and where he was.

"I was just…putting it back on the shelf." He said quickly, guilt flooding his whole being.

Eve contemplated that for a second before nodding, then going over to Sven to ask what they were having for breakfast.

"I'll just...go back upstairs. Heh." Train ended with a weak laugh, before practically sprinting up the wooden stairs.

Sven fell on the nearby kitchen chair in relief.

Sven had mixed feelings.

Maybe Train had just wanted to put the knife back, but the way he looked at him made him seriously think otherwise.

…

Train lay on his bed under the safety of his multiple blankets.

_He had tried to kill Sven._

Even now he still couldn't believe it.

He trembled when he remembered how he let his emotions control him.

With Rhoyte,it had been an unfortunate accident, something Train deemed would never happen again, but then…

He shivered.

With Rhoyte he had barely known what was happening when it did, but with Sven, he was completely conscious of the fact that he was holding a harmless kitchen utensil as a weapon with intent to kill.

He had sworn to himself not to take another life.

If Eve hadn't come at that moment, Train didn't know what he would've done.

No scratch that. He knew _exactly_ what he would have done.

His thoughts diverted to Eve suddenly.

She was maturing fast but she was still just a child no matter anything she said.

If Train had in fact killed Sven, the trauma would probably had made Eve revert back to her old occupation as a soulless bio-weapon.

Train had seen her eyes when Creed had tried to end Sven's life, full of fury and determination.

If that happened, he had no doubt he wouldn't be the only one in the house with intent to kill.

On pure instinct alone, his hand reached for the phone on his bedside table and he dialled Rinslet's number.

He needed someone to talk to.

Sven and Eve were obviously out of the question, but Rinslet might be a good choice, she was a good listener, if you overcome the initial annoying attitude.

He waited until the dial tone stopped and the phone on the other end was picked up.

"Helloo?" A feminine voice asked a tad irritatedly.

"Rinslet?..I.." he cleared his throat and started again. "Rinslet..can I come over?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

**Crucial question: Do you think I should continue with this story?**

**If you don't then review and tell me.**

**I probably won't listen to you but yeah...it's great when people point out that what you're doing is shiz so you can start over.**

**Hmmmmm. Maybe not the best choice of words.**


	4. Train and Rinslet talk

**I can't believe this is the fourth chapter already! *Cries***

**I'd like to thank my mom and Mrs Rumbold for always being there for me *sniff* wait a sec...I hate Mrs Rumbold!**

**On to the new chapter!**

**Train goes over to Rinslet's house to talk.**

Train stood on Rinslet's perch uncomfortably.

He had endured the many miles to get here while in the scorching heat, and the neighbours' nosy stares were getting to him.

He was tempted to ring the bell again when the door was flung open and Rinslet's flushed face came into view.

"Come in."

Train obeyed without question and let Rinslet lead him inside and on a couch.

Rinslet disappeared and reappeared with a bottle of milk for Train and a mug of coffee for her.

She noticed his gaze on Jenos's discarded clothing that currently littered a side of the couch as she reappeared.

"It isn't how it looks like." She was quick to explain. "He had to spend the night because we were following the same case, nothing happened."

Train gave her a look that explained what he thought of the situation much to Rinslet's embarrassment.

She hastily handed him the bottle before perching on the edge of the couch opposite to him with her mug.

"Tell me." She ordered when he had drunk his fill of the bottle. "Tell me everything."

Train sighed, before looking out a window.

'Rinslet…I have an… anger in me I can't control." He fell silent after this.

Rinslet leaned forward, trying to visually prompt more answers from the silent sweeper.

He sighed, and told her about their target Rhoyte Vilfir and his Taoist blade and his sudden change in manner.

"So, this guy cut you with a blade manufactured by Tao…

Train nodded for her to continue.

"And suddenly you feel…irate all the time?" her voice lilted at the end, making her statement seem more like a question.

"And to day…me and Sven….we had a disagreement."

Rinslet stopped herself from pointing out they always have 'disagreements'.

"Sven said somethings that made me angry and…there was a knife close by."

Rinslet could quickly tell where this was going.

"I…didn't want to…but there was this voice…"

"You killed Sven!?" Rinslet shouted in a voice bordering on hysteria, dreading his answer.

Train shot an annoyed glare at her direction. "_No_."

Rinslet let out a sigh of relief, for a moment she thought he had turned back into the feared assassin, Black Cat.

"But I wanted to." He gave a sigh of his own. "I know this seems stupid but you have to realise that I haven't let myself go like that for a long time."

Train gave Rinslet a pleading glance.

"Hmmmmm." She stared at her coffee and mentally chided herself for not bringing anything stronger.

First Train gets cuts with a knife by a crazy tao wielding ex-assassin and now he wants to kill Sven? His partner and best buddy?

It all seemed so surreal.

She stirred her coffee with a teaspoon thoughtfully.

"Well.." Rinslet started slowly. "The reason you feel angry is probably because you don't get out much these days. All I've ever seen you guys do nowadays is work, work and work. You probably just feel the urge to let out all that pent-up frustration." She nodded her head wisely.

Train mulled over her answer for a few seconds before breaking into a large grin.

The tension in the room rapidly dispersed.

"Yeah, that's probably it." He said as he shut his eyes and leant back into the couch. "I'll just go home and apologise to Sven when I get there."

Rinslet could tell it was still troubling him but decided not to press the topic.

"Soo..." Train cracked open a golden eye back to his normal self. "What's the story with you and Jenos?"

"The story?" Rinslet tilted her head sideways and tapped a finger on her chin. " Weeelllll, once upon a time there was a beautiful girl called Rinslet who met up with an annoying goofball called Jenos. They worked on missions together. Nothing more. The end."

Train gave a chuckle. "Oh really? Is there a sequel? Y'know where we're introduced to their children?"

Rinslet turned a bright shade of red before flinging a shoe at him, which he dodged with practised ease.

They laughed together and it was just like old times.

"Well I'm going now Rinslet." He yawned. "Thanks for listening." He stood up and raked a hand over his messy brown mane before giving her a grateful smile

Rinslet nodded her head. Of course she would never tell Train that she had enjoyed his company and was a bit sad to see him go.

Soon, Like Jenos, Train disappeared through the door and didn't look back.

The silent apartment seemed awfully lonely as the door creaked shut.

**I'm sure some people think I'm going too fast but...Who cares?!**

**I surely don't!**

**I've got lots of stories i've written that aren't in Fan so I need to get back to them.**

**Sorry if it seems rushed.**

**As always; if you want to review go ahead, but if you don't... heh, heh * Evil grin* just remember I'll be checking the views on this story.**

**Mwahhaaahhhaaaahahahahahaha! *Cough* Damn *Cough* Mwahahahahahaahhhaaaaaaaahha !**


	5. Chap 5

Train whistled as he walked down the street.

It had been two weeks after the talk with Rinslet, and he was surer more than ever that what she said was true.

It was only his spent-up frustration. He hadn't heard a peep from the mysterious voice ever since the accident in the kitchen and he had already profusely apologised to Sven and Eve for his earlier sour attitude.

He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he was in a noticeably better mood as he checked for the sweeper café.

He was heading to the entrance of the compact building when he was suddenly shoved from behind.

"Watch where you're going!" A gruff voice snarled from behind him.

Okkkaayyy, so his current good mood was fast disappearing, yet he put on a good-natured smile and spun around to meet his assailant.

"Sorry, my fault."

"You'd better be." The man scowled. Train raised an eyebrow as he took in his appearance.

Tattoos everywhere, and a giant nose ring made him the likeness of an irritated bull. Bullman.

Train raised his hand in the universal gesture of surrender, before walking away and into the sweeper's café.

His appearance caused a few raised eyebrows but other than that, not much of a commotion.

He quickly scanned all the posters before ending on the one with the highest bounty.

Mistle Toe. Bounty: 180, 000.

Delighted, Train snatched the poster and made a move to put it in his pocket when it was suddenly grabbed from his hands.

Train turned around.

It was Bullman.

"Hey, I wanted that poster." He pointed out in what he hoped was a reasonable voice.

Bullman barely spared him a glance.

"Tough guys like this shouldn't be given to runts like yourself, leave it to the big boys to handle this."

Train gritted his teeth and pushed back his growing annoyance.

Bullman grinned, showing off a pair of teeth blackened by poor dental care.

"Hey." A man with a white moustache and a cowboy hat called. "He got that poster first."

Bullman snarled in his direction. "Butt out of this conversation if ya know what's good for ya."

Cowboy hat tossed Train an apologetic smile and a shrug as if to say 'hey, can't say I didn't try'.

Train stood his ground, he was starting to feel irritated. 'I'd like to have that bounty if you don't mind."

Bullman too, was starting to look irritated.

He whipped out his gun from his holster and pointed it at Train's face. All movement in the café promptly ceased as the inhabitants turned to look at what they hoped was the start of a fight.

"You seem to be new to this so I'll give you a few pointers." He spat. "Take what you got and leave got it? You're making me angry and trust me, you don't want to make me angry."

Train felt the first tendrils of resentment but pushed it down.

"Secondly, I'm pretty good with this gun if I do say so myself, they call me Lightning shot McKenzie. I'm sure you've heard of me, eh?"

"You'd better step down boy!" Someone in the far back shouted. "It's rumoured he's even better than the Black Cat himself!"

There was a rush of voices after that bold statement.

"Better than Black Cat?" Train echoed scornfully. "So if 'Black Cat' was in the crowd now, you'll challenge him?"

"You hear that?" 'Lightning shot McKenzie' smirked. "If 'Black Cat' was indeed here, I'll be happy to take him on, and thrash him too."

**_Better than the Black Cat eh?_**_**Why don't we show him what 'Black Cat' can do?**_

It was the voice again, and despite himself Train again found himself agreeing with it readily.

_But_, Train reasoned with himself, He wasn't' going to kill, just knock him around long enough so he could take the bounty back.

**_Just knock him around?_** The voice scoffed.**_. He doesn't respect you Train._**

Train had to agree on that.

**I ****_think you need to do more than just knock him around…_**

The voice trailed off after that, but there was a strong implication in the words that could not be mistaken.

Meaning that it wouldn't be satisfied until 'McKenzie' was thoroughly informed of his misdeavour.

Train briefly wondered if he was going crazy. Holding everything a voice said in such high regard… but that dimness was taking ahold of him again and he didn't feel like fighting it in any way.

He gave a sadistic grin as his anger took hold.

Oh, Lightning shot Mckenzie' was going to get his fight with Black Cat, and much sooner than he'll care to realise.

Meanwhile, an unnoticed lone woman at the back of the café observed the proceedings with growing interest.

The woman had been sitting there for quite some time and was on the verge of leaving when the breakout of a would-be brawl caught her attention.

She sat back on her chair and watched the two men argue. The burly man with the nose ring was no one of any value…but the shorter one with the dark unruly hair…there was definitely this aura around him.

As the argument became more violent she felt a sudden change in the mood and shorter one's eyes distorted into something wilder and his stance shifted to agressively offensive.

The burlier man was still boasting, but anyone with a trained eye knew who would win between the two.

The atmosphere around the dark-haired man changed further still till it was barely human, more like a dark swirling void full of hate and…sadness?

She gave a noise of surprise before standing up and grabbing a stick she conviniently found next to her seat.

She would have to break this fight before there were any casualties.

Train sized McKenzie up.

It wouldn't take more than a few seconds to take him down, much to his disappointment.

_Back in my Chronos days a man like him wouldn't show up in my dangerous people radar_, he thought as he flexed his arms in preparation.

He felt anger, that swirling murky hatred, not directly at McKenzie, but an anger that needed to be satisfied even so, and McKenzie was the only fool available.

It was funny if he took time to think about this whole situation.

This would have all seemed foolish to him if he realised that all this trauma was just for a bounty poster.

But any second thoughts were quickly overpowered by the overwhelming need to hurt the older man.

**_Hurt him…._**

"Heh. So you decided to fight?" McKenzie leered, he aimed his gun at Train. "Well, don't say I didn't…"

His gun was knocked aside with lightning-like speed and before anyone in the room could react, Train had McKenzie pinned to the wall.

Nobody was as stunned as Lightning shot McKenzie at that moment as he stared at a pair of fear-inducing golden orbs.

Train leaned closer to the older man, a part of him revelling in the smell of his fear.

"Y'know, I really hate it when people take me for granted, it really hurts my feelings." He said in a light tone, one hand pressed lightly on the man's wind pipe.

McKenzie held out a knife that was tucked in his belt and slashed at the younger man's shoulder but that was quickly knocked away as well.

Train's eyes grew darker and he applied more pressure on his throat.

"You…really don't know when to stop, do you?"

"Please…"

"Please what?" Train leaned even closer until he was a centimetre width from his dangly nose ring, he wanted to have some fun before beating the guy up.

"Please..don't kill me." McKenzie whimpered pathetically.

"Don't kill you?" Train's eyes darkened again and his mouth curled into a cruel smile, he wasn't thinking of killing him before, but now...

He turned to their audience. "He said I shouldn't kill him? Should I?"

Nobody in the café dared to breathe, let alone answer.

With a sigh he turned back to his captive with a smile. "Oh well. Majority rules."

Before he delivered the blow to his throat an angry voice stopped him.

_What the hell do you think you're you doing Train!_

He suddenly realised with a jolt what he was attempting to carry out , and he leapt away from the man in a frenzy.

Train felt slightly disgusted at himself that a man not worth it like the so-called 'Lightning shot McKenzie' could prompt such a murderous reaction from him. That voice in his head had tempted him again and he had followed it like a thoughtless mule.

"I have no wish to kill you now, but scram before I change my mind." Train advised the man on the floor.

McKenzie nodded his head pitifully, but as the sweeper turned around he whipped a miniature pistol from his belt and aimed it his back.

"Hah! Never turn your back on your enemy!" **1**

Train lifted an eyebrow. This man _really_ didn't know when to give up.

_I should have knocked him out when I had the chance. _He thought wryly.

And just when Train was preparing to that, a large cudgel smashed over McKenzie's head.

The man quickly crumpled to the wooden floorboards below.

A raven-haired woman held the stick in one hand loftily as she casually tossed her mane of dark black hair over her shoulder.

"Who are you?" Train asked curiously and a bit warily.

The woman cocked her head back and stared at him in silence before turning to the other man who was now sprawled on the floor in an ungainly heap.

She had amethyst eyes, he noted.

"Give me the bounty poster." She commanded him in a no-nonsense voice, obviously unused to being ignored.

Unlike last time, McKenzie was quick to obey and hurriedly presented the rolled-up piece of paper to the woman; not wanting another episode like the one a few seconds before.

She took it without a word of thanks and held it out to Train.

"This is yours I presume?"

He took it suspiciously.

"Thanks…but seriously. Who are you?"

"We'll continue this conversation outside." She responded, turning around and heading for the door, clearly expecting Train to follow.

He gave a quick shrug and followed her outside, escaping the piercing stares of the sweepers in the café.

* * *

When they were safely outside, Train confronted her with a question. "Why did you stop him?" He asked almost accusingly.

She turned an eye in his direction disdainfully.

"You were going to kill him."

"No, I wasn't." He tried to explain.

"Yes, you were." She replied with a tone of finality in her voice.

Train shrugged his shoulders but inside he couldn't help but feel chilled at how certain she sounded.

"If you had killed him, your sweeper license would have been revoked and you would have suffered the full arm of the law without sweeper government protection."

Train's eyes widened. He had forgotten about that.

"Why do you care so much?"

She stared at him for a while before turning away.

"You intrigue me."

A raised eyebrow here. "_I _intrigue you?"

"Yes. When you were fighting that man, you were releasing waves of killing intent that didn't seem natural…It was like staring at a shadowy abyss."

"You can see things like that?" Train asked with a note of surprise…and suspicion.

Fighting with Tao masters could do that to a person.

"I can sense things like that." She corrected him.

"Okayyy." Train scratched his head. "But… I don't think I caught your name."

"It's Lo."

"Lo? That's it?"

"That's it." She began to walk away.

" You're leaving so soon?"

"I've got things to do." She replied without turning back. "We'll meet each other very soon."

She eyed him. "That, I'm sure of."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

All the Chronos numbers sat around a large ornate table engaged in quiet conversation.

Sephira, commander of the Chronos numbers sat at the head chair at the end of the table with vice-commander Belze next to her. The rest of the numbers sat around the table in no particular order.

"So you're meaning to tell me that all the recent crimes in this area were planned?" Jenos asked, with a hint of incredulity in his voice.

"Yes," Sephira said. "We've had information from number XII about the link between them, and as implausible as it sounds, we, the Chronos Time guardians have reason to believe that these are the work of a bigger organisation."

"Sephira's right." Xiao Lee, Number XII of the Chronos guardians began. "When we took in the captives from the different crimes for questioning, we were shocked to find similar tattoos on the base of their hands.

Of course, we inquired about this, but some of them wouldn't give us the information we needed.

So, after some… _encouragement_," A dimpled smile at this, "We managed to get two words from them…" He paused for effect.

"Out with it boy!" Baldor snarled.

"Novum Vita."

Jenos gave a frown. "Novum Vita? But…what does that even mean?"

"It's a latin word for new life." Kranz explained.

"Cornicupus, a mafia gang we are certain is connected to Novum Vita, has also openly declared war on Chronos." Sephira continued.

"That one's a no-brainer." Baldor smirked. "We smite them with the full force of the Chronos Numbers."

Everyone on the table readily agreed.

"But…" Xiao Lee picked up. "We have no idea _what_ is Novum Vita or _who_ they are."

"We can't fight them if we can't find them!"

"That's exactly the problem." Xiao Lee chirped with a grin, inciting an uproar between the numbers.

"We also have another predicament in our hands." Belze broke in and everyone stopped their rants to listen.

"The criminals we believe are linked to Novum Vita have been found with small quantities of the tao potion."

Silence descended in the room and shock was written on everyone's faces.

"You're _kidding_ me." Jenos snarled after some time.

"Yeah, what's the big idea pops?" Baldor scowled at the vice-captain. "I thought we got rid of the last of them in the big tumble with Creed."

Sephira raised a hand for silence.

"Yes. Like we _assumed_. It seems there are more sources of Tao, and in places no Chronos agent has discovered."

Baldor let out an exasperated sigh, mirroring everyone's feelings perfectly .

Everyone in the room would rather _not_ go head-to-head with anymore Taoists again.

"So what d'ya expect us to do, Caps?"

Sephira smiled thinly at his question. "I want both you and Kranz to be transported to the city of Elspi. There are rumours of the stirrings of a revolt there."

Baldor saluted and Kranz just responded with his signature nod.

She turned to the rest of the numbers.

"That is all for now. When we sight any more trails to Novum Vita, you will be summoned."

She shuffled a few papers on the table.

"This meeting is dismissed."

* * *

Thunk! Thunk!

That was the sound of Eve training.

She was now in the back yard defeating all the targets that Sven and Train had so carefully set up.

Sven sat on a chair nearby shaded from the blaring heat and watched the former bio-weapon with something akin to awe.

She was turning her hands and hair into blades and mallets, bashing every wooden projectile that was tossed in her direction.

Suddenly a large sharp wooden board spiralled her way.

With the equal amount of speed, her blonde her twisted into a spike and brought the board down to the dust below.

"That's new." Sven noted.

Eve gave him a barely perceptible nod before proceeding to pound her way through every other obstacle blocking her path.

This continued for a few more minutes before Eve defeated all the targets around her.

"!4.67 minutes." Sven held up a timer. "Impressive."

Eve blew a stray blond strand from her face before giving her surrogate father a small smile.

"I'm improving aren't I Sven?" She asked him as she walked over to his chair.

He gave her a grin in answer before frowning in concern.

"That was pretty full-on Eve, not to mention the heat. You might want to come in for a bit."

A small droplet of sweat ran down her neck before it was brushed impatiently away.

"Not yet." She replied solemnly but full of determination. "I have to get better so I can defeat Train."

Sven sweat dropped. "Erm…sure"

Eve's comment had made him think of his golden-eyed idiot partner again.

Though Train had apologised and did seem okay, Sven still had this feeling…

He shrugged. There was no point worrying about that.

Train hadn't been showing signs of depression or anger lately so really it wasn't his business.

He stood up from the lounge chair and stretched, sighing in satisfaction as a few bones cracked into place before turning to the golden-headed girl beside him.

Eve stared blankly back.

"So Eve… How do you feel about some lunch?"

**If I'm going too fast, can someone tell me?**

**R & R!**


	7. Chapter 7

**This is chapter 7 of this sordid story.**

Train stared at the white ceiling above him.

He had laid on the bed in his room for a few hours now and he still couldn't get to sleep.

In the stillness of the room his rapid breathing seemed abnormally loud and the tick ticking of the alarm clock on his bedside table also seemed discordant in the near-empty space.

Unbidden, his mind wandered over to the mysterious raven-haired girl he had talked to before, Lo was it?

It was only a few says since their encounter and Train, most of the time, found his thoughts turning towards her.

Even though he knew literally next to nothing about shadowy woman, he found himself wishing they could meet up again someday, though he knew that wasn't very likely.

She was most likely a sweeper, and Train knew from experience that sweeper jobs rarely allow a person to stay in one place at a time.

With a sigh, he turned around on his bed and rested, his head in a comfortable position before letting Sven's loud snores from the next room lull him to sleep.

Almost as suddenly as he nodded of to sleep he found himself thrown in a different setting.

He was in a white room with a chair and table in one corner.

He was wearing his pajamas he noted as he walked around the room.

There were no windows or doors, which made escape next to impossible, and the white material that the room was coated in was apparently strong too, he concluded due to several well-placed kicks.

He did this for a while before he collapsed on the white ground.

Any probable signs of escape were either impossible or just very, very well hidden.

_Ah, well_. He shrugged.

This was just a dream after all. He would wake up the moment his alarm started to ring.

There was a whoosh beside him, and instinctively, Train threw himself sideways.

A blade thudded on the wall where his head was a few micro-seconds before.

**_You should never let your guard down Train, anyone can be waiting…_** A sickeningly familiar voice said.

"Wh..Who are you!?" Train shouted to empty air though he had a reasonable idea.

There was a laugh.

**_You know who I am Train._**

It was true.

As soon as it started talking, Train knew with a certainty that it was the unknown voice that was stalking him these past days.

**_Hmmmmm, not slacking off are we?_**

Another blade whizzed past and this time Train barely evaded it.

"What do you want?" He asked again crouching down in a fighting stance with his fists up in the air.

**_I want many things…don't we all?_** The voice asked in a slightly teasing tone.

Train brought his hand back and struck at what he thought was the source of the sound.

There was a short laugh.

**_Oh dear Train, You nearly got me then._**

It said in a tone that even Train could tell was sarcastic.

"Alright." Train said with some annoyance. "Are you a physical being or are just a disembodied voice that's determined to haunt me forever?"

**Oh, I'm real **It replied in some amusement. **Though I can haunt you forever if you want…your choice.**

"Where are you?"

**I'm where you want me to be.**

Train breathed through his nose in an attempt to calm himself down.

"Okay, enough of the riddles! Who are you really!?"

There was some silence.

**I'm… me...That's the best way I can describe it.**

Another blade struck the wall next to Train.

"Why can't I see you!?"

**That's simple. **

Train dodged another blade, the mysterious voice was clearly taking it's time.

**Because you aren't looking for me.**

Train threw himself away from another torrent of knives.

A stray blade nicked him on the shoulder.

"Why are you attacking me!?"

**Attacking you?** A low laugh. **I'm trying to help you Train.**

After that the voice pointedly ignored any more questions Train thought to ask, but instead seemed determined to launch more knives at him.

After a short while, Train felt himself tiring and knew that he wouldn't be able to hold up much longer.

His reactions were slower, and it was getting harder and harder to dodge the many blades aimed at him.

It seemed the voice realised this as well.

**Get ready to die Train.**

As a spinning dagger was in the middle of tearing off his face, another, stronger voice spoke in a clear, audible tone.

Stop this.

The assault stopped almost immediately and all knives in mid-air dropped to the ground in a clatter of sound.

Train looked around in confusion, searching for the source of this foreign, new perpetrator.

Leave here Train.

Like the former, the order was simple, yet Train felt compelled to obey .

"How do I leave here?"

There was no answer and then almost immediately he felt his body being sucked out of the room in a whirl of white and plunged into a sort of suffocating darkness.

A scream rose up in his throat but he quickly pushed it down as he clawed around to find his bearings.

Very slowly, his vision returned and he found himself lying down in his bed again, his legs tangled up in his sheets and his face covered in slick sweat.

He gasped for air as he pulled himself off the bed and rubbed his eyes with a shaky palm, meanwhile thinking one thing.

_What the hell was that?_

**If you have anything you want me to change can you please** **read**_** and review**?_


	8. Train meets up with Lo (again)

**Hey y'll! Another chapter!**

It was with a troubled mind that Train was in as loaded the groceries in his mini shopping cart.

He was in Harbord's shopping center right then because Sven had sent him to get groceries while he and Eve worked together on a mission,

Initially, Train felt a tad miffed, but still he welcomed the idea of sometime alone with himself.

As he took a bottle of milk from the fridge, his thoughts strayed to the dream he had last night.

Train normally didn't dwell on dreams he had before as nothing good ever came from it.

He flinched slightly as memories of other, more unpleasant dreams from his time in Chronos surfaced, before shaking them away with a toss of his head.

The voice he heard in the dream, even though it was gone, he could still feel this lingering presence waiting on the edges of his peripheral vision, ready to pounce.

His hand was reaching for a carton of eggs on a shelf when a slender hand snatched it before he could.

He looked down and an angry remark was cut short as he was met with very familiar amethyst eyes.

Train's mouth hung open in surprise. It was the girl from the sweeper café!

"I..It's you! Lo!"

A few prying customers turned around to see what was going on.

Mild irritation flickered over Lo's features.

"Yes. Do I know you?"

"It's me, Train!"

An eye twitch.

Train's grin drooped a bit. "From the sweeper café?"

"Oh." Some recognition dawned on her face. "Nice to meet you."

She took another carton off the shelf before walking off, leaving a surprised Train behind.

"Wait.: He grabbed her hand and felt her tense up.

"What now?" Irritation laced in her words.

"There are somethings I've been meaning to ask you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

He leaned closer.

"Sweeper business." Train whispered, low enough that the nosy spectators couldn't eavesdrop.

She tilted her head sideways as if in thought.

"Okay. Let me finish with these-she held up her shopping bags-and we'll discuss over tea."

Train smiled down at her .

"And milk."

* * *

As Train and Lo had tea, he learnt 3 very important things.

Firstly, Lo loved tea, a _lot_.

Secondly, Lo loved to eat, a _lot._

In fact, her love of food could almost be compared for her love of tea, which overall could contest with Train's infatuation with anything edible.

And last but not least, Sven would kill him if he saw the bill…after having a spasm.

Train watched in amazement as he witnessed a person other than himself scarf down 10 round of foie gras, ice cream cake, chicken nuggets with ketchup, hot dog rolls, meat pies and fried rice in less than 15 minutes flat.

After observing this flow of events he felt a sort-of familiar bond between the raven-haired girl.

Two kindred spirits united by their mutual love of food.

After completely picking all her plates clean she produced a flowery embroided handkerchief and daintily patted her lips.

"Thank you for the food. I was feeling slightly peckish."

"Uh-huh."

"So…" She went straight to business. "What sweeper business did you call me here for?"

"Actually…I wanted to know more about you."

"More about me?" She repeated with some confusion.

"Yes." He gave her a sly grin. "You can say you intrigue me too."

She lifted an eyebrow but refrained from commenting.

"You never told me where you came from, or what you do for that matter.:

"Neither did you." She pointed out.

"Yes…but that's not the point."

She cocked her head suspiciously. "It isn't?"

"Well, when we first met, you said…-Train changed his tone of voice to imitate Lo's- When you were fighting that man, you were releasing waves of killing intent that didn't seem natural…It was like staring at a shadowy abyss."

He looked at her for her answer.

"Hmmmmm."

She ducked her head and her long locks of dark hair obscured her eyes from view, giving the impression of someone deep in thought.

"You…"

"Yes?" Train leaned closer to hear her better.

Suddenly, her head snapped upwards and she gave Train an accusing glare.

"Hey! You're that guy from the sweeper café!"

Train sweat dropped.

* * *

After assuring Lo, that yes, he was the guy from the sweeper café, she seemed more inclined to give him answers.

"Sorry. I'm horrible with faces." She apologised in way of explanation.

"That's okay. " He responded, still smarting from her indirect insult.

"Anyway…" she started, changing the subject. "When we first met, it's just like I said. You were releasing some dark energy that just didn't feel natural." She shrugged her shoulders.

Train leant back on his chair with a thoughtful **1** expression on his face. " I see…"

He turned to her.

"Am I still releasing this…dark energy?"

She nodded her head.

"But not as much as before, it seems smaller, like if it was subdued."

Train's mind raced towards the previous scene in his dream but forced himself to keep listening.

"…And, I also feel more presences too, but they seem…" She trailed off.

"Dark?" Train suggested.

She frowned. "No…more like…different…that's it."  
A sudden ring brought both eyes to the watch on Lo's wrist.

She frowned again. "Sorry. I have to go now."

Train raised his two eyebrows in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Someone's expecting me." She explicated as she packed her belongings inside her bag.

Train felt awkward standing there with his hands in his pockets with nothing to do.

"You need any help or something?"

"No." She replied shortly.

After a while, she straightened up with her bags in her hands.

Train suddenly had a thought.

"Can I have your number? So I contact you whenever you want to meet up?"

"No." She responded firmly.

"Pardon?"

"I will come to this area on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, after this month, my service will be needed somewhere else and I would have to depart."

"I see…"

"Good day to you." "And with a terse nod, she walked away, leaving a surprised Train behind.

**A/N:** I'm not getting much constructive reviews for this story so I'm thinking of just stopping it.

I know what's gonna happen but y'know *shrug* I've got other gigs to take care of, so I'd like to know from more people if I should continue this story.

**Footnotes**

**1)l I would just like to point out that yes, Train does think.**


	9. Train has a dream

Train reminisced on his second encounter with a Lo.

When he first met her, he had an envision of a cool and mysterious figure, a kind of unattainable, unapproachable presence…their second encounter sure cleared _that_ up.

_"Hey! You're that guy from the sweeper café!"_

Train sweat dropped.

She was a strange girl… that was for sure.

Yet, he had so many things he wanted to ask her.

Like, for instance:more about the darkness she saw around him, and how she could sense it.

_But alas_, He sighed_._ It was Tuesday and if he heard her correctly, their appointed meeting times were Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

He gave a yawn.

He was taking advantage of the Tuesday morning heat and was lying comfortably on the roof of the hideout.

He slowly closed his eyes, he hadn't had a nap for ages.

Dimly, in the background, he heard Sven shouting his name but didn't bother to respond.

It would probably take ages before he found him up here.

_I wonder why he never bothers to check up on the roof first. _He thought before he fell asleep.

Like his earlier dream, Train was transported into different surroundings almost as simultaneously as he drifted off.

He eyes widened, no matter his previous experience, he still wasn't used to being teleported so suddenly.

Soft yet gritty sand caressed his toes and he felt a light breeze ruffle his hair and somewhere over the horizon, heard a distant cry of seagulls.

He looked around in awe.

He was now a beach.

The sand wasn't the drab yellow and brown colour of most beaches, but had instead, a kind of whitish hue.

Tall palm trees stood around the clearing, seemingly swaying by their own.

It was all very picturesque, the calming environment looked so perfect, Train wasn't sure it could exist outside his dream.

**You're right.**

Train was immediately on guard.

"Who's there?"

**Please. I'm not trying to kill you.** The voice sneered, giving the impression it could have if it wanted.

Train didn't relax his tensed posture.

**Fine. **If the voice was the product of a tangible being, Train could almost imagine it shrugging. **Do it your way.**

"Where am I?"

**Isn't it obvious? **_Duh_.** On a beach.**

"Why am I here?"

A short laugh.

**I'm starting to see a pattern here. You ask, I answer.**

"Funny." Even though Train knew it was probably futile, he was turning his head this way and that to seek out the source of the voice.

**There's no point in looking for me now, you'll never find me.**

"Why are you here?"

***Snort* Has it ever crossed your mind that I may not have a choice?**

Train processed this bit of information.

"You live in my mind?"

**Don't flatter yourself.**

Train had a sudden thought.

"What happened to the other voice I heard before?"

There was a pause.

**I don't know, maybe it went on vacation? **The tone of the voice had become noticeably snarkier.

But all of Train's thoughts were coming into place.

"That's why you can't kill me, because it won't let you."

**Bravo, ****_Bravo_****. If I had a cookie I would have tossed it earlier. **

"I have a question."

**_No _**Sarcasm was clearly it's strongest fort.

"Why are you always here, and what do you mean by I wouldn't be able to see you now?."

***Sigh*Sorry, that bit of information is classified.**

Trains topped his questions for a moment as he listened to the vague sounds that the calming atmosphere produced.

There was distant shouting somewhere faraway and Train had the strange sensation of knowing someone was calling his name.

**Oh ****_dear _****Train, your dear partner's getting impatient.**

Train turned around once again to find the source of the voice.

"Are you sure, this seems shorter than our last meeting."

**That's your cue. **If that was possible, Train was positive he could feel the smirk in the voice's, well…voice.

Just like last time, Train felt himself sucked out of his body and the beach swirled in a mesh of colour.

**_Bye Train._**

He felt the heat of the sun suddenly and a rough, hard surface digging into his back.

"Train! Train!"

The distant voice was clearer now.

Opening one eye reluctantly, he came face-to-face with an angry Sven.

"Finally! You're awake!"

Train opened the other eye and hauled himself off his sleeping position.

"I was calling you for like, _hours!_" Sven ranted on.

Train did his best to look sorrowful and repentant. "Sorry, guess I lost track of time."

"For this, you forfeit dinner!"

Train's eyes widened in indignation. "That's not fair!"

But Sven wasn't listening as he was already halfway down the stairs.

_Crummy old man._


End file.
